STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - MEIERS CORNERS - At any given point during the day, a customer walking into Mangiaria in Meiers Corners will likely spot owner Vito Teutonico chatting it up with one of his patrons.

Teutonico, 32, probably never met the person he's chatting with, but you'd never know that. He enjoys making friends, but most importantly, he loves serving food at his small, but homey, restaurant in Meiers Corners.

Located in a corner of a Manor Road shopping plaza, Mangiaria – formerly Pazza Pizza – opened in late June.

The restaurant comes with a slogan, "A new era. A new ria. Not just pizza. Mangiaria."

Mangiaria, as Teutonico will say, is simply "A place where you eat. Whatever you want."

And he's serious.

Salads, entrees, deep fried Oreos, calzones, chicken francese or marsala slices, a top notch Sicilian pie and a traditional grandma pizza are just a sampling of what he provides at the quick-fix eatery.

The restaurant offers an assortment of cakes for dessert.
(Staten Island Advance/Mark Stein)

The young restaurateur, who is assisted by his Italian-born mother, Josephine, the head chef, prides himself on using the best ingredients to craft his food. There are San Marzano tomatoes, hand-rolled fresh mozzarella, and seafood and vegetables are brought in daily.

Though he's admitted he and his mother have quarreled in the past, the two have come to settle their differences and plan to help each other succeed.

"It's business partners. She has her forte and I have mine. I let her shine in the kitchen, and she let's me shine at the pizza counter and with the marketing," he said.

In addition to his mother, Teutonico comes from a family with longtime roots in Italian food. His uncles both owned pizzerias in Brooklyn for a combined 120-plus years, and he himself has worked at fast-paced, high traffic pizza parlors in Manhattan.

Before he turned to pizza, Teutonico was employed by a city-based union charged with paving bridges, tunnels and roads across the five boroughs. He didn't like it.

"After a year and a half, I realized my true love is people," he said. He loves rolling out that vibrant, welcoming personality.

It hasn't been easy. In July, when Mangiaria was doing well, Teutonico sustained an injury and was unable to work. Not long afterward, he needed surgery to repair his knees, and was unable to return to the pizzeria until the end of the year.

But since then, the former Annadale resident has stormed back, re-inserting himself into the Italian food scene on Staten Island with gusto.

"This is my love. This is what makes me smile," he said, twirling a circular piece of dough in the air three times before returning it to the cooking counter, where, with rapid-fire dexterity, he sprinkles mozzarella cheese and drips thick red sauce across the top before placing it in the 700-degree oven.

Mangiaria includes an outdoor patio, which is off-limits now, but perfect during the warmer months of the year.

He believes that relations between restaurant owners and their customers aren't as strong as in the past. He's looking to remedy that with a conversation.

"I'm bringing back what a neighborhood pizzeria is," he vows.

Mangiaria is listed at 110 Holden Blvd., but is accessible via the parking lot at Manor and Holden. Call 718-983-8384 or 718-983-8415.